Newspapers
by its only a matter of time
Summary: Percy Jackson is forced to sell newspapers in the hopes to have enough money to get into a new school (also to pay Smelly Gabe's debts, but no one talks about that). Harry Potter is forced to tag along in the Dursley's vacation to America since no one can take him in. Two unusual boys finally meet a kindred spirit. Pre-Hogwarts/Camp Half-Blood. Canon-Compliant.


**A/N: This isn't your typical HP/PJO crossover. I don't mean it in a badass way, this is basically before Hogwarts and Camp Half-Blood. Because of this, they're basically less bad-ass and much more passive than expected.**

 **Both Percy and Harry are aged 7 in this one.**

Percy Jackson should probably start minding his own business.

Then again, it was fourth grade, and children are reckless and wild － especially Percy Jackson.

It wasn't that he finds trouble, trouble finds him.

Trouble came in the form of an oversized kid (and by oversized, he meant _oversized_ ), chasing a little kid. Not _little_ little, but the kid looked so thin that he looked small.

"Hey!" He called. Several other kids looked at him, he should probably specify. "You, pighead! The one who's chasing the kid with glasses!"

Soon enough, both the pig and the kid were looking at him. Percy hoped that he wasn't misinterpreting the situation.

Then the fear in the kid's eyes struck something in Percy. He looked confused, then he ran off.

"Mind your own business!" Said the pig. Except that he said that in this weird, funny accent that Percy had to run the sentence through his head for at least five times to understand it.

"What?" He said stupidly, which defeats the point of standing up for someone, but what's done is done.

Except that the kid took this the wrong way, and he raised his chin and cocked an eyebrow. "I said, back off if you know what's good for you!"

"Wait!" He said, because the kid's eyes were already leaving him. He rolled up the newspapers in his hand and held it in a fist. "What were you doing?"

"I'm just playing with my cousin." He sneered. He reminded him of Andrew McCartney from his last school － he would rather not be reminded of that.

"Playing?" Percy scoffed. He witnessed countless times the bullies assuring teachers that they were 'playing'. "If he's playing, then why did he keep running away? Why didn't he stick up for you?"

Piglet gritted his teeth and turned a nasty shade of red. Percy smiled in triumph.

"Mind your own business!" Piglet heaved.

"It's my business if someone gets hurt!" He shouted back. "Pick someone your own size! Oh right, with that size, you won't find anyone!"

Piglet's eyes turned from spiteful to watery. Geez, talk about tantrums, right?

Then he charged towards Percy. Percy already braced himself for a fight, but then Piglet ran right through and went to two adults behind him.

 _Oh no_. He thought at once.

"Mum! Dad! This kid's bugging me!" He wailed. His cheeks turned into a very deep red as he pointed his very chubby fingers at him.

These adults, Mrs. Horse (because her cheekbones were too high and he could almost see her bones sticking out) and Mr. Pig suddenly looked at him the way the way Smelly Gabe did.

Like he was just dirt under their shoe.

"What are you doing with my precious Dudders!" _Oh, geez. Dudders_. Percy almost pitied Piglet with that stupid name. Piglet sounded better. Mrs. Horse held Piglet as she kept shrieking at him. "Didn't your mother teach you some manners?"

"My Mom didn't do anything!" He said automatically. He knew he should have just shut up, but she should never get involved in his messes.

"Who are you to shout at my wife?" Mr. Pig's voice made Percy want to run away. It was very loud that people turned in their direction.

They all looked at him. Their eyes criticizing him, judging his every move. He can see it in their eyes. For them, he was trouble. They didn't want him here.

Mr. Pig's voice was so loud that he could feel a big lump in his throat.

The last time he cried this year was when he got expelled for the fourth time.

"I'm sorry." He said defiantly, because he wished they would just go away now.

"Say it to my Dudders!" _Dudders. Geez._

"Sorry, Dudders." He said, looking at Dudders. Dudders was crying, but there was a triumphant glint in his eye.

"Looks like children in America do have some manners after all." Mrs. Dudders grumbled, pulling Dudders Jr. away.

"Never let me see you again, boy!" He muttered as he sidled up with his wife, their kid tucked between them.

He nodded as they turned their backs against him. They all towered over him, and he was in their shadow.

He almost looked small.

——

A week had passed when some scrawny kid approached Percy.

"Um, hello there." The accent reminded Percy of Dudders. He looked down and recognized the boy. "I didn't have the chance to thank you for sticking up for me. I'm Harry by the way. Harry Potter."

"Oh." Percy said, blushing. It was a whole week since it happened, and hefelt bad about sticking up for Harry. Now he's thanking him. "Don't sweat it. I'm Percy Jackson, by the way."

His eyes darted around the park. He looked like he was alone, no Mrs. Horse and Mr. Piglet.

"Where are your parents?" Percy asked.

Harry pulled away, as if slapped. Percy wondered if that was the right thing to say, because the last time he saw The Dudders Family, they didn't even remember Harry.

"They're uh － not my parents." Harry said, his voice softer than earlier. "They're my aunt and uncle. Both of them are busy, so I'm off alone."

"Oh." Percy really can't help but notice the accent. It was sort of hard to understand Harry. "You're not from here, are you?"

"No." He smiled. "I'm from England. I'm here because － of a vacation."

There was that hesitant pause, where he wanted to say something else.

"What are those?" Harry asked, pointing at the newspapers. It was Percy's turn to pause awkwardly.

"I sell them." Percy said, seeing no point in lying.

Harry looked at him in this way, like he was super awed. Like Percy was a cool guy.

Percy scratched the back of his neck.

"Is this a normal thing in America?" Harry asked, his voice filled with wonder. "I saw someone else too but a bit older. Still, you're so young to be working."

Percy laughed awkwardly. Harry acted like he was some sort of hero, like he was someone who did something great. No, Percy Jackson was just selling newspapers.

"Not a normal thing in America." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm helping out my － my aunt. They have money problems."

Harry nodded. If he knew he was lying, he surely wasn't showing it.

"Do you want me to help you?" Harry asked, blinking up big, green, innocent eyes at him. _Geez._

"Why?" Percy asked, sincerely taken aback. "The sun's out and it's really hot today, besides, you'll get bored."

"It's my thank you. Besides, I can handle it." Harry looked like he was suddenly struck. "Don't worry, I don't want the money, I'll just help you out."

"No, really, it's alright." Percy laughed, starting to back away. He would rather not have anyone help him, Harry's relatives might look for him. He didn't know what was between them, but he just didn't want to see them. Not to mention that Harry might go back on his word about the money. Percy would let him take a share, of course. It would be his hard work, but Smelly Gabe...

You know what? Screw that guy.

"I can handle it. I'm used to this kind of stuff." Harry said stubbornly. He stuck his chest out and attempted to look taller. Percy did this many times before. "I don't have anything to do for the rest of the day either."

Percy ran a hand through his hair.

"You're not giving this up, are you?" _Is this how I sound like to other people?_ Percy thought, looking at the boy in front of him. Green eyes and black hair and stubborness. Is that a thing now?

Harry shook his head.

"Fine." Percy sighed, handing him a wad. "I'll give you ten. If you don't have them sold out by the time I've sold ten, you'll have to give it up, okay?"

Harry beamed.

"Deal."

——

Harry turned to be a very charming boy, because he had sold ten newspapers by the time Percy sold five.

"Do you really want to do this?" Percy asked, handing him half of his papers. "You could be playing video games right now." And Percy shouldn't probably try to convince him to leave. It was good for business if he stayed, but it doesn't rub him the right way to make a kid sell things.

Harry smiled gratefully. Percy thought he was weird. It was just selling newspapers.

"You know about my cousin, right? Dudley?" He asked. It was almost desperate, like Harry needed someone to know.

"Dudley?" Percy said stupidly. He knew about Dudders －

"The one who chased me that day." Harry said as Percy figured it out.

Percy bit back a grin. Dudley? Just as he thought it couldn't get worse.

"What a stupid name." Percy said without thinking. You see, ADHD has that kind of effect.

Instead of being angry, as Percy expected, Harry burst into snickers.

"You don't get along well, do you?" Percy asked curiously. Something seemed familiar in Harry. The way his shoulders slouched, the way his eyes are determined yet reluctant.

"Yeah." Harry smiled, as if relieved. "We don't get along at all. So he doesn't let me play video games."

He knew the feeling. Because of Andrew, his break time was miserable back at school. Percy didn't know what he did, but Harry looked like he somehow had a resolve. He nodded at Percy.

"Let's sell these now." Harry said, gesturing to the newspapers.

"Sure." Percy wanted to laugh. Deep down, he was also touched.

——

 **So yeah, that's it for now! I'm sorry it was pretty uneventful, it was basically the boys before their lives turned upside down.**

 **If you decide to stay for the next chapter (which will be Harry's POV!), you'll get to see a monster, and one of their abilities acting up! Or two? I haven't decided.**

 **Don't expect too much excitement though, things will still be pretty mundane for them and us.**

 **I'm sorry if basically nothing happened now! It was sort of an emotion-y, thing, but Percy is really passive about his emotions. Everything should be easier seen through Harry!**


End file.
